Nikola Tesla, Vincent Van Gogh & the Second Renaissance

Tesla was alive at the same time as Vincent! Both drove cultural and technological advancement. It was like a second Renaissance.

Did Nikola Tesla single-handedly start what we now know as the “open-source” movement?

Serbian-American Nikola Tesla is arguably the greatest inventor of all time. The way the tech world gushes over his legacy after 158 years, usually around his birthday, is proof of his lasting impact. Although the inventor accumulated the equivalent of hundreds of millions of dollars today, he died penniless and crazy, admitting that his only friend was a pigeon. What’s more, he tore up a contract that would have made him (and every one of his descendants) a billionaire. While many argue that Tesla’s move was financial suicide, a true innovator will agree that tinkering is always for the love and not the money.

Our story begins with a 28-year-old Nikola Tesla being robbed on a ship inbound for the USA. All the money his family gave him, some of his luggage, and even his ticket, were stolen. After surviving a mutiny on the boat and almost being tossed off the S.S. City of Richmond, he arrived on June 6, 1884.

Also on June 6, Vincent Van Gogh paints a study, “Woman Reeling Yarn.” More about Van Gogh later.

Tesla immigrated to the United States from Paris, left with only a letter of recommendation, four cents in American dollars and a dream -- he was going to work for Thomas Edison (a decision he would later regret). Tesla actually landed a job at Edison General Electric when he first arrived in America and accepted a salary of $18 (worth $440 today) per week and a $50,000 (worth $1 million today) bonus if he were able to improve Edison’s system of electricity based on direct current (DC) motors.

Nikola Tesla

Tesla was able to fix the issue within two months of employment, but Edison refused to cough up the bonus he promised. He allegedly told Tesla, “You do not understand our American humor,” and instead offered him a raise of $10 per week. Tesla refused the offer and quit the very same day. Edison would long live to regret double-crossing Tesla.

It is well documented that Nikola Tesla suffered from OCD (numbers, utensils when eating, etc.). OCD can be very easily controlled (ERP method) but -- left untreated it can mushroom completely out of control. An example is Howard Hughes whom reportedly personal physicians escallated into full insanity to grab his wealth. A blemish forever on Mormon church infrastructure which reportedly hugely benefited.

SpeedEvil --The amount of current needed to magnetise, even when very close to a DC wire is really quite high.

The story actually came from a magazine for watch collectors. I do not have a copy on hand so can not look up the actual reference. Most of the article was on the effects the direct current had on watches, which are sensitive to small amounts of magnetism. It could be that the pins were becoming magnetized.

Edison's system must have had high currents. I think it ran about 80 or 90 volts. There was a lot of line loss. Reports also indicated that the ground returns in earth were actively charged. That walking over such could cause a tingling sensation. None of this was regulated, so practices in the 1880s may have been quite different than they are now.

Many of early electrical items were used for therapeutic purposes. See the film _Road to Wellville_ for examples.

My personal take on the corset story is that it is much like cellphone radiation exposure. There was a propaganda war over which system was the least leathal.

This is a charming, quick read about Tesla and Van Gogh; interesting premise. You could go back to school and use it for your thesis (if you are studying history). I didnt realize the mental health issues with Tesla. Has anyone read a good biography of Tesla they can recomment?

@Sheepdoll...I never thought that I would be learning about the history of women's undergarments on EETimes! But then I forgot, you're an "Active historical costumer" to quote your profile. Thanks for the insights :-)

Edison's DC actually changed what women wore. Corsets in the 1880s used steel "bones" to form the hourglass curve. (actually they are needed for proper support of the bosom.)

DC current causes steel or iron moving through it to become magnetically polarized. Since most of his installations were in upper class houses, this had the effect of magnetizing the corsets.

Pins and other objects would stick to these society ladies mid sections. About this time rubberized elastic was being developed, which allowed us to no longer need steel, whalebone or reeds for support.